One Sensor, Two Radios: Revisiting the Original Wahoo TICKR

Archive note: Originally published on Mullener in 2015. The phones, apps and product generation are historical; this version keeps the useful interoperability observations.

I bought an early Wahoo TICKR because I wanted one heart-rate strap that was not tied to a single Garmin device. It supported both ANT+ and Bluetooth, which made it usable with a Garmin Edge 705 as well as an LG Nexus 5.

That dual-radio design exposed an important distinction: pairing with a sensor and recording useful data from it are separate capabilities.

Pairing was only the first step

The TICKR paired with the Android phone, and an app could see the sensor, but my first attempt did not produce a recorded activity. Wahoo’s own Fitness app provided the complete path: connect to the strap, record the session, then share it to Strava.

The same sensor also worked directly with the Garmin over ANT+. Nothing needed to be “converted”; the TICKR transmitted using both protocols and each receiving device used the one it understood.

Two LEDs made the state unusually visible for a small sensor. Blue indicated a connection, while red showed that the unit was detecting heart-rate data. That made it possible to distinguish three states quickly:

• the sensor had power;
• a receiver had connected;
• the electrodes were producing a reading.

What the review taught me

Compatibility is a chain, not a badge on the box. A successful setup depends on the sensor radio, the phone’s hardware and operating system, the recording app, and the service receiving the uploaded activity.

When testing a sensor today, I would still separate those boundaries:

1. Confirm the sensor is awake and producing data.
2. Confirm the receiving device supports the advertised protocol.
3. Confirm the chosen app can record—not merely discover—the data type.
4. Confirm export or synchronisation independently.

The specific Nexus 5 and Edge 705 combination belongs to 2015. The interoperability lesson has aged much better.